Kumar Bhandari is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors holding the PFS™ credential. He has recently entered the financial services industry and has experience with firms including WFGIA and Avantax. His background also includes accounting and consulting roles, and he has been involved with Brenau University and several accounting and tax service businesses. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers a combination of advisory and broker-dealer services with proprietary and third-party investment models, serving both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Luis Kim is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Buford, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. for eight years before joining Truist in 2025. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches. The firm integrates affiliated broker-dealer and banking services and employs AI-enabled tools alongside traditional research in its investment processes.

Adam Lee is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. since 2020. Prior to joining Mercer, he worked at Kays Financial Advisory Corp and TD Ameritrade, Inc. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, and nonprofit organizations. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach with globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios and offers a range of implementation options alongside financial planning, retirement consulting, and estate-planning coordination.

Jared Kale is a CFP® with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mariner. He worked at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network LLC for 14 years before joining Mariner in 2023. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm combines in-house research with third-party managers and provides integrated tax and accounting services alongside traditional portfolio management.

Evan Harbot is a CFP® with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and previously worked at Russell Investments and CNL Securities Corp. His background includes roles at Fs2 Capital Partners, LLC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans, through a large network of advisors. The firm employs a strategic investment process combining passive and active management, supported by an internal Investment Committee and a range of specialized financial planning and consulting services.

Dana Merritt is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing nine years of industry experience. She has been with SunTrust Advisory Services and its affiliated entities since 2016. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary solutions supported by third-party platforms and manager arrangements.

Alan Kasser is a financial advisor at J. W. Cole Advisors, Inc. with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with J. W. Cole Advisors and affiliated firms since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Kasser Investment Advisors, LLC, which focuses on brokerage and mutual fund insurance products. J. W. Cole Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and retirement plans through a national network of over 400 independent advisor representatives. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, access to third-party managers, and a variety of managed account solutions.

Alexander Herman is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities, J.P. Morgan Bank, and Edward Jones. In addition to his advisory role, he is active as a real estate agent, assisting other real estate professionals with their transactions. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and institutional clients, often serving those connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services with a fiduciary standard, operating within a vertically integrated group that includes affiliated funds and donor-advised fund advisory services.

Susan Lewis is a CFP® professional with 29 years of industry experience. She has been with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2010. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company serves a broad client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of investment advisory and brokerage services through fee-based wrap programs, financial planning, and consulting, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary strategies monitored by an Investment Strategy Committee.

Mariana Battista is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. She previously worked at Atlanta Financial Associates, LLC, Patton Albertson Miller Group, LLC, and Anthony Smith Advisors, Inc. Mariana also has work experience at the University of Georgia. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, providing investment advisory services alongside financial, tax, retirement, estate planning, and family office services. The firm employs a globally diversified, risk-appropriate investment approach using low-cost ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and other strategies, and offers various specialized programs and educational initiatives.

Roger Shaffer is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with Hightower Securities and Hightower Advisors since 2013. Shaffer serves on the Board of Directors at Signature Banks of Georgia. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions using affiliated and third-party managers, with services that include discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting.

Rajen Chokshi is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at Hightower Advisors since 2021 and previously held roles at Bluerock Wealth Management, Redwood Wealth Management, and BlueRock Financial Advisors. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing proprietary research and a range of investment strategies across mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives, and customized indexing.

Robert Szymanski is a CFP® and ChFC® with 16 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Horter Investment Management, LLC and is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Duluth, GA. His other business activities include insurance sales and Medicare back-office referrals. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser offering fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee programs. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other RIAs, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Aleece Kardon is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Alpharetta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. She also maintains an active legal practice as an attorney specializing in trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and residential real estate closings. Kardon has worked at multiple legal and financial firms, including WealthWave and Shafritz & Dean, Attorneys at Law. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a broad client base ranging from individual investors to institutional entities and offers both advisory and broker-dealer services. The firm delivers investment advice through proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Ronald Kibbe is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 66 designations with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Mercer Global Advisors since 2015. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and related planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofit organizations. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts and strategic use of low-cost index vehicles.

Mark Wyrobek is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at Fifth Third Bank since 2018, following four years at B.C. Ziegler and Company. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner of a vacation rental business in Dahlonega, Georgia. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm combines bank affiliation with municipal-advisor registration and provides access to multiple managed-account programs, including direct indexing and tax-overlay services.

Clayton Pond is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with over 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and is also involved with oXYGen Financial, where he works as a Wealth Plan Design Specialist. Pond serves as the Treasurer on the board of a homeowners association. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting for plan sponsors, institutional clients, and individuals. The firm offers a range of services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and manages assets for large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

William Brand is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Triad Advisors since 2010. In addition to his advisory role, he owns a compliance consulting firm, Willful Compliance Partners, Inc., providing regulatory guidance to registered entities. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various portfolio management and consulting services through multiple program structures, emphasizing centralized due diligence and the integration of technology such as algorithmic model portfolios and held-away account platforms.

James Galloway is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Roswell, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 21 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors and Legend Financial Marketing. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital portfolio solution that uses algorithmic risk assessment and external strategists to manage investments primarily in mutual funds and ETFs.

Eric Lapai is a financial advisor with FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. in Lawrenceville, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having seven years of industry experience. He has been with FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES since 2018 and also works with Fifth Third Bank since 2017. Prior to that, he spent a year at Southern New Hampshire University. FIFTH THIRD SECURITIES, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients through both advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple investment programs on the Passageway platform, combining third-party portfolio management with advisor-guided selections, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank.